


Tell Me Again

by AroPeterWam



Category: The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-26 16:38:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5011987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AroPeterWam/pseuds/AroPeterWam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Patrick gets sent to an all boys boarding school from juvie, he meets Aaron, son of the dean, and nothing ever is the same. Especially when they have met before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. All The Right Moves

**Author's Note:**

> "All The Right Moves" by OneRepublic  
> I always use songs as titles when they helped to finish a chapter on replay! *Music varies from genre to feels*  
> Aaron- Achilles  
> Patrick- Patroclus   
> Dean Peters- Peleus

_"But is it not a sort of genius to cut always to the heart?"_

 

Patrick Menoetius didn't belong in an all boys school for the troubled. Patrick never even referred to himself as 'Patrick', and now it seemed ridiculous for Pat to narrate.

"Mr...Patrick," they never learned to pronounce his last name," do you know why you're in detention?" Of course Pat knew, he hated how adults would chaste with such an obvious question, especially in front of an audience.

"Because of dice." Mr. Burns sat on the desk in front of Pat,  and started to go through the list to see what it was Pat would need to pass onto high school. "Now, you are here til 6, meaning, I'm here til 6." Mr. Burns sighed, tired already from his long day.

"So, let's make this quick so the both of us can retire. " Mr. Burns sighed.

Mr. Burns took Pat on a tour of the boarding school, and introduced Pat to his roommates. It's not what Pat was used to before, but it didn't seem that bad to share a room with 3 other boys. He arranged for Pat to have the basic needs for a 6th grader, class wise and extracurricular wise. Mr. Burns walked Pat through his schedule and showed him the bathroom, the cafeteria, and back to his dorm again.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning in class then." Mr. Burns left Pat with the 3 other boys who introduced themselves, all excited about having a new face among them.

****  
  


"You just missed him Aaron." Someone from behind Pat whispered loud enough for Aaron to hear in Pat's homeroom.

Aaron looked around and then decided it wasn't worth sticking around if Mr. Burns wasn't around. The first thing Pat thought was that this boy was golden. Aaron shrugged and stood up straight again the doorway.

“I guess practice got canceled then!” He adjusted his gym bag and violin case on his shoulder, then left. Something about him made Pat feel very strange. It stirred something in Pat that never made him feel so connected before.

The next week was a regular routine of Pat secretly looking at Aaron from afar. Pat never had the confidence to go to Aaron and talk, but he would stare whenever their paths crossed.

Lunch time was Pat's favorite. He never spoke to anyone, and after people got tired of him being the new kid, they all forgot about him and Pat really appreciated it more than anything. He never had an social skills. Pat would stare at the table in front of him and look at Aaron as he'd juggle, and even joke around. Sometimes Pat would stare too long and Aarons eyes would find Pat's . It was like a game for Pat: to avoid being caught.

During P.E. their classes were merged, and since no one really paid any attention to Pat, it was easy for him to have the guts to hide under the bleachers or stay in the boys locker room. It made thinking a lot more bearable.

"So this is where you go to everyday?" Pat looked up and saw Aaron standing with his arms crossed.  "Mr. Smith spoke to my father." Aaron sat down next to Pat on the floor. "He's thinking about punishment." Aaron added.

"Why are you here? It's not really the greatest smelling place to hide in." Aaron made a face of disgust once the smell hit him.

"You'd get used to it." Pat smirked and looked at Aaron really getting  a good look at the golden boy.

"If Mr. Smith or my father catch you, you know you'd be in a lot of trouble, right? "

"You miss P.E a lot too." Pat said accusingly.

"I go to train."

"Well, then say I was with you."

"That would be lying. "

Pat stared at Aaron in disbelief.

"Come on then," Aaron stood up, offering a hand to Pat, leading him out of the boys locker room and out to the track field.

"Catch," Aaron threw something in the air, and Pat barely caught the stop watch. "Now we won't be lying." Aaron made his way to the starting line and crouched down in a starting  position.

"Uh, ready,  set, go?" Pat tried to raise his voice, but his voice betrayed him.

"Let me know when!" Aaron called out to Pat who felt very small.

"Go!" Pat hit the stopwatch as soon as he said go, staring at Aaron as he darted from the starting line making his way around the track with such grace. He made running look fun. Aaron's face didn't contort, or even look like he was struggling to keep running, he just laughed as he made his way to the stop line.

"7 minutes and 5 seconds." Pat made his way to show Aaron, who had his hands on his knees, looking disappointed.

"There," Aaron breathed, " Now it literally isn't a lie." Pat just stared at him in awe.

"What are you doing here and not with the rest of the class?" Mr. Smith made his way to the boys.

"He was helping me practice." Aaron spoke back confidently.

"Does your father know about this?"

"Not yet, but I'm allowed to have a training partner, and I want Patrick."

Pat wasn't used to anyone calling him Patrick, mainly because people wanted to get talking to him over with, or so they made it seem. Normally people made it clear to Pat how annoying he can get, he either talks too much, or too little, or not even at all. Over time, people wore him out to where he won't talk at all in most cases.

"Alright, well, class is over now. " Mr. Smith took the stopwatch and headed back inside.

"Did you leave anything in the locker rooms?" Pat thought about it for a minute and then shook his head, Pat tried to make it a habit to leave his bag in his dorm room during P.E.

"Then let's go talk to my father." Pat followed Aaron to the dean's office.

"Aaron, did you finish training?" Aaron's father glanced up from the stack of papers in his hands.

"Yes, but, father," Aaron made his way to his father's desk and sat down on the chairs, "I want you to know that I found my training partner." The Dean stared at Pat for what seemed like forever until Aaron spoke again, sounding more reassured than before.

"You told me to choose a training partner and I chose Patrick."

The Dean looked from Aaron and Pat until he laughed. "After trying to convince you to find one, I'd finally given up! Why him?" The Dean wiped the tears that had formed from his eyes.

Pat wondered why did Aaron decide to make him his training partner, when many other boys who excelled at sports wanted to train with Aaron.

"Because he surprises me." Aaron said.

"He surprises you?" The Dean repeated back.

"Yes." Aaron just stared at his father, not even wavering.

"He doesn't seem like he'd excel at sports, so how could he possibly train with you when he could slow you down?" The Dean challenged.

"I don't need him to make me better, I can do that on my own." Aaron stated, not sounding boastful, just honest. Dean Peters looked surprised, just as much as Pat.

"Other people might get jealous that you chose someone who was sent here because of juvie."

"Then they can get jealous all they want, I don't owe them any explanation." Aaron replied clearly.

The Dean stared at both boys, then lifted his papers back to his face to read.

"Very well then, just let Mr. Burns and Mr. Smith know of this. You guys should get settled then."

Pat couldn't believe how easy it was for Aaron to just decide things, and talk in such a way to his father. It didn't seem like a disobedience but more like casual one-on-one conversations. Pat couldn't understand the conversations because he never had them with his father before.

"Let's go and move your stuff to my room." Aaron made his way to Pat's room, and lucky for Pat, everyone was off to doing their extracurricular stuff.

After they moved Pat’s stuff to Aaron’s room Pat didn’t know what he could have in common with a guy who had an entire room to himself. Maybe that’s why a lot of people wanted to be his friend.

“Here,” Aaron gestured towards the futon that was set up on the side of the room, “you can use this until we get another bed in here.”

Pat nodded and went to sit on the futon, familiarizing himself with the room. _'Why am I here?'_ Patrick really couldn't understand this golden boy at all.

"We will also need to add a dresser for you to place your things in." Aaron added.

"Thanks." Pat mumbled, and got up to go and unpack what he could on hangers and set the futon ready for him to sleep in.

 "Patrick, everyone should be done by now, wanna head over to the dining hall?" Aaron sat Pat's duffel bag down next to the futon, waiting for Pat's response. After a while of silence, Aaron placed one of the two boxes of Pat’s near the corner of the room, after helping Pat hang up his clothes, "Maybe we should go to the dining hall now.”

When Aaron sat down at Patrick's regular table, Pat didn't know if he should talk or just sit in silence; he just wasn't used to having company all the time now. _'Would Aaron get bored of me?'_ Pat was sure that by the end of the day, Aaron would have changed his mind about having a partner and send him back to his old dorm.

But it did make Pat a bit excited that Aaron knew where he sat regularly.  

"I have violin lessons after this, I'll be out late too, so sorry if I do disturb you tonight." Aaron bit into his fig.

"Okay, no problems. Have fun?" Earning a laugh, Pat didn't know if he should have said _'Good Luck'_ , so he played it fairly safe. It did make him a bit more happy when the fiery, golden boy laughed.

After dinner, Pat went back to Aaron's room, expecting to see his stuff gone, but when he walked in, it was all still there.

Pat waited for the day when his things to be gone, but that day never came. Patrick checked for weeks, until he became more used to the idea that he won't go anywhere for a while. He even began to know more of Aaron, and learned he wasn't as mature as he seemed at first.

One day, Pat came back from dinner, expecting to be alone like usual, but when he walked in and Aaron looked at him and greeted him with a simple "Hey", Pat's worries slowly started to fade into nothing. Pretty soon, Patrick found it more easy to talk about anything and everything with Aaron, even as to tell him why he was sent to juvie.

"Why did you get sent because of dice?" Aaron laid on bottom Pat's bed like he does every time they talk at night.

"My dad was entertaining some people for some stupid fundraiser, when this big guy came into my room, and started to take my things. At the time, one of his friends gave me these really amazing marble dice, and I guess I really loved those dice." Pat looked down to see Aaron's face, unsure if he wanted to continue with the story.  "This guy, he was around 16, and too drunk, so when he started to grab the dice from my hands, I pushed him, and he hit his head on the edge of my dresser."

"I don't know what I would have done in that situation," Aaron looked at Pat with curiosity in his eyes," but I don't think I would have let him continue to take things." Pat felt a bit relieved to think that maybe, just maybe he wasn't a murderer. He still saw that boys face in dreams, or even in the dark. Pat would see him with the blood dripping from his head, and even some of the boy's skin and brain goo on the corner of the dresser.

"Why didn't you say you were defending yourself? Or lied, saying that you just found him that way already?" Aaron furrowed his eyes. But Pat did think about it before he confessed, even his father urged him to do that.

"I feel like I would be haunted by him if I lied. I don't think I'd want to feel more guilty than I already do."

"You know,  no one has ever spoken to me that way before. I think I would have been angry and done the same." Aaron reassured him.

Aaron jumped up and started to jump on Pat's bed, making Pat bounce.

"You're going to fall!" Pat steadied himself.

"No I won't," Aaron huffed, "I'm basically just that amazingly confident that I can't even fall." Aaron jumped from Pat's bed to his bed and then back to the futon and then went again, he even decided to hop from bed to futon and bed.

"There is noone like you." Pat said in wonder and frustration.

"So?"  Aaron looked at Pat, and as if it had melted away, Pat couldn't stay mad at Aaron. Ever.

And as if he knew that, Aaron smiled, and _his face was like the sun._

__****  
  



	2. Circles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Circles" by The Young Romans  
> It literally wrote itself.

_“And as we swam, or played, or talked, a feeling would come. It was almost like fear in the way it filled me, rising in my chest. It was almost like tears, in how swiftly it came.”_

As the year had gone by, Pat and Aaron didn’t find any reason to never be honest to one another. Even at 13, Pat was still marveled with how honest Aaron can be, and how trusting Aaron is of other people to be just as honest. As Pat spent more time with Aaron, he also spent more time with Aaron’s father, Dean Peters. The Dean would often joke about how Pat was like his own son with how often Pat would stay with Aaron and the Dean during vacations.

Pat’s father wouldn’t allow him to return anytime soon, or even at all, always writing to Pat:

_“Maybe it’s best if you stay this time around Pat._

_\- Father”_

Dean Peters didn’t seem to mind with how Pat would spend the holidays with him and his son.

Pat loved how during summer nights, in front of a fire as they had s’mores, Dean Peter’s would retell so many stories of his Father and Grandfather’s service during war. Or how when it was just Aaron and him, they'd lay on the roof of the dorm building and just ask each other what was occupying their thoughts.

Pat even taught Aaron how to skip stones, and Aaron in return, taught Pat how to draw. Pat no longered worried what he was too skinny and not as athletic, or that he spoke too much. They would invent games, have races, and sneak off into the kitchen to steal ice-cream. Pat didn’t mind losing to Aaron anymore, _For who can be ashamed to lose to such a beauty?_

Pat felt free and open to be himself when he was with Aaron. _‘This and this and this, I said to him. This and this and this!’_ Pat would tell himself over and over as he would lay at night on his bed facing Aaron, as he would recall the day they had spent together.

“So what happened to your mother?” Pat asked Aaron after they were finished skipping stones by the lake.

“My mother, she is,” Aaron took in a shaky breath and sighed, “she is someone that is extremely complicated.” He picked up a stone and tossed it aimlessly into the lake.

“Why isn’t she with you?”

“Sometime when she was pregnant with me, she just started to change.” Aaron glanced up at the sky laying down slowly, pulling grass, and tearing it to pieces as he spoke. “She started to have dreams of what she felt would be the future. I know, it seems silly, but she would have dreams that I was someone great, someone that won at things like the Olympics.” Aaron let out a nervous laugh, “In one particular dream, she said, she saw me as a hero in ancient times, like Greece or Rome, or something. She claims that she saw me as a hero, as someone who would be remembered through all of history, even claiming that she saw me as a god.”

“A god?”

“Yep, like, those gods from Greek mythology.”

“And then what?” Pat didn’t want to pressure Aaron into talking about something that seemed sensitive to him.

“She wound up in the cookoo house. I see her every chance I get, but everytime I see her, she always has a different dream that seem ridiculous.”

“Who knows, maybe you are a reincarnation of someone famous from the myths.” Pat said slowly, trying to recall information he read about reincarnation before coming to the school.

“If you believe in that stuff,” Aaron grabbed all the grass he shredded in his hand, and blew it over Pat, “I for one know, that you probably weren’t as great a hero as I was!” He turned around and ran away.

Pat got up to chase Aaron who already had a head start.

Later in the day, during dinner, Pat sat down across from where Aaron sat like normal, and then started to think about the conversation earlier by the lake. He waited for Aaron to sit, but after 20 minutes, he didn’t appear. Pat thought it was funny, because he was always there.

“Um, Patrick?” He heard a small voice from behind and turned around to find a boy, who he shared class with. “Yes?” He responded unsure of what to expect.

“Aaron told me to tell you that he had to go with his dad to do something and he would be back later on tonight, and not to worry, or something along those lines.” The boy nodded and then headed back to where he would sit and eat.

Pat got up and then went to throw the food away from his tray, and headed off to the room he shared with Aaron. He got in the room, glanced at the clock seeing it was only 7 and then decided to read a book he’d put off long enough, falling asleep sometime after 9. When Pat woke up, he looked at Aaron’s empty bed, and then at the clock, saw it was already 11, and went to take a quick shower hoping that Aaron would be back by then.

His shower was short, and quick- too quick in fact that he had forgotten his clothes and only brought in a towel. With fear of being caught naked, Pat ran into the room from the bathroom, and when he entered, he saw someone on his bed, and let out the most manly scream ever.

“Woah, Patrick, easy,” the familiar voice spoke from within the dark, making its way closer to Pat in an attempt to calm him.

“It’s me, Aaron.” Pat turned on the lights to see Aaron standing in the middle of the room with his hair a mess, and without a shirt.

“Please don’t scare me like that!” Pat let out a sigh and relaxed once again.

“Um Patrick,” Aaron looked down at the ground and started to blush, “you’re naked. Just thought I’d let you know.” Pat looked down in embarrassment and covered up his lower waist with his hands, making his way to get his towel.

“Hey Aaron, don’t forget to invite Pat-” Dean Peters looked up from opening the door, saw his son half naked, and Pat completely naked, then covered his eyes. “Uh, you know what, never mind. I’ll see you both tomorrow boys.” Dean Peters closed the door.

“I- oh gosh! Wow, um okay, so,” Aaron turned around and then covered his eyes, letting Pat get dressed, “Great, my father probably thinks we are gay.”

Pat quickly got dressed into his pyjamas and then went to his bed, grabbing the bed spread, and throwing it over himself to hide what just happened. "This is so embarrassing!" He groaned.

“It’s all good though, we can explain it tomorrow. Patrick?” Aaron sat on Pat’s bed, trying to pry off the bed spread out of Pat’s grip.

“That just happened Aaron. I can’t believe that just happened! Why didn’t you sleep on your own bed? If you slept on your bed and not on mine, I probably wouldn’t have acted like I did now! Seriously, this is so crazy.” Pat sat up and started to lean towards Aaron. “Do you think this is funny?” He lowered his voice to seem more intimidating to Aaron who was laughing.

“Yes!” Aaron continued to laugh, clutching his stomach, causing Pat to hit him with the pillows.

“Okay, I’m serious now, what happened today?” Pat sat down the pillow on his lap and waited for Aaron to respond back.

“I went with my dad,” He breathed in real long, and breathed out, “to see my mom at the mental institute.”

“How did that go? Is she well?”

“She’s doing good, she just, okay don’t laugh,” Aaron looked at Pat sternly, “promise not to be freaked out either?”  Pat nodded.

“She was telling me her latest dreams, and these seem to be more in a sequence than before.” He got up to lay down next to Pat, and Pat laid down next to him, turning to face each other, and talking in whispers like they grew accustomed too.

“These dreams are the ones where she sees me as a hero, as the god, but this time there is someone else there. She said, ‘He corrupted you, but then because of him, you became someone worth remembering.’ And then she grabbed my shoulders and started to scream, saying, ‘No, don’t do this! He is nothing but mortal! Don’t befriend him again. Don’t go near your _Philtatos_!” Aaron closed his eyes and chuckled nervously.

“What does that mean?” Pat started to feel this nostalgic deja vu feeling again. Since he arrived at the boarding school, he started to feel deja vu a lot more.

“I don’t know, after that she was sedated and fell asleep. But, that’s not the creepy part of it,” Aaron took in a shaky breath and looked at Pat, “She whispered, ‘Don’t go near Patrick, he will die soon enough.’ before she fell under the drugs.”

Pat felt his blood go cold with fear, and looked at Aaron waiting for him to start laughing. He didn’t.

“Okay, no offense, but is your mom under some weird medication?” Pat half-heartedly joked.

“I don’t know, but anyways," he clapped his hands together, "my dad and I have to go to Spain.”

“What? For how long? Why?” Pat felt his heart stop.

“There is some business my father must do there. We’ll be in Spain for 5 years.”

_‘Five years?!’_  Pat couldn’t help but feel this stabbing pain in his chest. He couldn’t bear this separation. Pat felt like he could bear anything really, anything except Aaron being gone. His breathing became more rigid, and his head started to swarm with many thoughts of what he could do once Aaron was gone. He could tolerate his father pretending his son didn’t exist, or that he had accidentally killed someone. It bothered him more that he couldn’t handle the separation, when he should.

“Patrick, “ Aaron grabbed Pat’s face, forcing him to look at him, “my dad wants to know if you can go with us to Spain. He said he will talk with your father, but he just wants to make sure that you are okay with going with us to Spain.” Pat went from somber to feeling excited.

“Well- why?”

“Because, we know your dad doesn’t seem much like anything other than just a person in your life, and we wouldn’t feel right leaving you here, I wouldn’t feel right with leaving you here.”

Pat didn’t know if he should go with them, he wanted to yes, but he didn’t know if he should. _‘They aren’t my biological family.’_

“And I hoped that you would come with me.”

“If my dad says it’s okay,” Aaron started to grin at this, “then yes I’ll go with you guys.”

Aaron started to smile, “Good. Because he already agreed to handing my father custody over you.”

Pat felt like the sky would start to get windy, and the cloudy so the clouds would loom over everything, because for him, that was perfect weather. The sunny sky, to him, felt like it was nothing more than ordinary, and Pat is tired of ordinary, he grew tired of the smoldering hot sun that was nothing more but a perfect reminder that he didn’t belong out in the sunshine. And he felt perfectly fine with that. Pat knew where he belonged, and it was in the cloudy, windy outdoors. With the golden boy.

Aaron fell asleep next to Pat and all Pat could think of was how Aaron smelled of his shampoo, pomegranate, and of something else he couldn’t really name, but it all smelled so familiar it cause Pat to have a headache. There was still too much excitement swelling in Pat’s chest for him to fall asleep, so instead, Pat turned on his side, facing Aaron, and started to trace Aaron’s face with his finger. He started with his eyebrows, then his nose, and then his lips. He didn’t see it, but Aaron was still awake, and slowly opened his green eyes to look at Pat.

“Patrick.” Aaron whispered, causing Pat to look at him and feel something expand within his chest. He didn’t know why, but the way Aaron looked at him made him feel a flutter in his stomach, and his throat to go dry. It shouldn’t have, because it was the same way Aaron would look at Pat.

Before he could control himself, Pat leaned in and his lips were on Aaron’s lips. It was something that made Pat want more. ‘ _More’_ He could taste Aaron’s mouth, as he let his mouth open slightly, tasting the lingering toothpaste, and slight hint of figs. _‘More!’_

“Patrick.” Aaron said, and shoved Pat away. With a muddled mind and remorse of what he did, Pat apologized.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t- I am so sorry.” Pat apologized as he got up and made his way to Aaron’s bed and sat down facing away from where Aaron laid. “Just go back to sleep, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Patrick?” Pat heard Aaron, and ignored him as he laid down, turning to face away from Aaron. He didn’t want to look at Aaron’s surprised face. _‘What have I done?’_

“Good night Aaron.” Was all Pat could say.

For the rest of the night, he didn’t acknowledge Aaron and promised himself he would not bring that up again. Ever. He wanted things to go back the way they were. Pat didn’t want Aaron to feel in anyway, uncomfortable, but Pat also wanted Aaron to enjoy what happened.

_‘ Forgive me, it was a mistake.’_ Pat thought before he fell asleep. Instead of dreaming of Aaron with him, he dreamt of being a ghost, watching Aaron screaming as he held onto his dead body in a tent. In Pat’s dream he just hears Aaron chanting, _“Patroclus”_ , first as a whisper growing steadily into a scream.

_Over and over again until it is sound only._

****  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for anyone who has been reading this! I didn't know where I would go with this story, I only really started the first chapter because I was in my Math class and I got bored of reviewing for an exam. (I know, I'm a terrible influence! ;3;)
> 
> More towards the ending of this chapter it skipped to the scene where Achilles has Patroclus' body in his arms after Hector killed him. Yeah, I know, sorry. 
> 
> -Aro


	3. En Tus Pupilas (In Your Pupils)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "En Tus Pupilas" - Shakira which translates to "In Your Pupils", and the reason for this song is because of the lyrics and the setting for where they are.   
> I did warn you guys that my music is extremely everywhere.

_“Now I know how to make you follow me everywhere.”_

After that night, neither Pat nor Aaron talked about what had happened. As well as the dreams, as if they have melted into the nothingness, reverting things to go back to before the kiss.

At the end of their 8th grade, they had moved to Spain,  leaving behind the boarding school and all the people it held, and even some secrets only the walls knew. Pat and Aaron were both excited that instead of flying they would travel by boat.

“Boys!” Aaron's father called from the table on the cruise ship. “I'm sorry they didn't have enough rooms for you each to have your own, but I'm sure you both wouldn't mind sharing a room. It's only for a few weeks, and hey,” Mr. Peters leaned forward on the table, “we can think of this as a vacation while our house get settled.” Pat liked how he said _“our house”_ without a seconds thought.

The cruise was one Pat had gone on before with his parents before, but he didn’t want to spoil the happy atmosphere, because unlike that time, he wasn’t going to be denied the chance to enjoy a cruise with people he felt were family. They sailed from Virginia to England, and then through the Mediterranean. Every time the ship docked, the boys would go into the area and buy souvenirs, as well as taking as many photos as possible, for the sake of one day sending them to his mother- wherever she was at. When they got to Spain, Mr. Peters let the boys venture around the town, as long as they were near the tourists shops.

“Patrick!” Aaron’s hair was starting to stick to his temple from the hot sun, “Look at this!” Pat went over to stand next to Aaron who was leaning into a glass to see starfish in a tank.

“They can regrow their arms if they feel like they are threatened. It takes a year,” Pat turned to look at Aaron as he spoke with his eyes gleaming, “but they regrow. That is just amazing, right?” When Aaron turned to look at Pat, he saw that the gleam was still there, all on his face.

“If only we could do that as humans.” An accented voice from behind the boys spoke, interrupting the moment.

It was a man, who looked like he was in his 30’s. His face was sunken in, his dark brown hair was tucked under a hat, his brown eyes hid behind big glasses, and his jaw was sent to the side when he spoke. What stung at Pat in the heart was how this man reminded him so much of his mother, or the memories he had of her.

“My name is,” the man struggled with lifting his right arm to shake Pat’s hand, “ Chase.” The man slightly jerked to the side when Pat went to shake his hand. “Sorry, it does that sometimes.” The man smiled solemnly, and let his hand drop instead.  Pat didn’t want to stare at Chase, but he didn’t want to look away either from him. He wasn’t scared or intimidated, it felt like he was talking to an old friend, but still, he couldn’t help but be on guard. He didn’t who this man was.

“I’m Aaron,” Aaron broke the silence and gestured to Pat, “and this is Patrick.” Pat waved and smiled softly to the man.

“You boys here with your family?” Chase said looking around the area, as if searching for someone.

“Yes,” Mr. Peters spoke from behind him, “I’m their father.” Pat didn’t want to object, not because he didn’t like the idea, but because the way Mr. Peters loomed over Chase was startling. The height was not the issue, just the body appearance. ‘ _He is so thin and small. Almost as fragile as a baby_.’

“Ah yes, Michael Peters, how fancy meeting you here.” Chase spoke in a joking tone.

“Wait, “ Mr. Peters leaned in slighting towards Chase to get a better look at his face, “Chase!” Mr. Peters embarrassed Chase in a hug and a pat on the back.

“I told you over the phone you wouldn’t recognize me.” Chase tilted his head up, trying for some air.

“I didn’t expect it to be this bad already.” Mr. Peters spoke gravely.

“Father.” Aaron spoke up, looking at his father.

“Aaron,” he turned to nod at Pat, “Pat, this is a very old friend of your mother and mine, Chase. He is the reason why we are going to Spain.”

“I thought it was all for business?” Aaron questioned.

“Yes and no.” Mr. Peters lead them all to sit down at a table outside the cafe they were near, helping Chase sit down.

“He is an old business partner, but foremost, he is an old friend of mine as well. When I said we would be here, I meant really Aaron. This man here,” Mr. Peters gestured to Chase, “he can teach you almost anything that can be taught from one person. Though his health is deteriorating, he wanted to pass on some knowledge and train you better Aaron.” Mr. Peters raised his hand for a waitress to come by. “And of course Pat as well. I knew you wouldn’t leave him behind so easily.” When the waitress came by, Pat ordered the coffee he saw on the display on the table, while Aaron ordered Chamomile tea.

“I know what you two are thinking,” Chase spoke up after ordering tea as well, “‘This old man can’t teach anything with the way he looks!’ But I can assure you, I have more to me than my disease.”

Before he could contain the question, “What disease do you have.. Mr. Chase?”

“I have something that you two will also learn about as well, don’t be too hasty.” Chase smiled. “Also, Patrick, call me Chase. Just, Chase.”

“And also Chase, Pat is just fine then.” Pat said, feeling brave enough to speak out. Chase nodded and then turned his attention to Aaron.

“Your father tells me many great things, sometimes he even sounds like your mother.” Chase said shaking his head, “I'm so sorry for saying that. How is she doing?”

“She's,” Mr. Peters started before shaking his head.

“Oh, I see.”

“You knew my mother as well?” Aaron leaned forward.

“You can say we are distant cousins of sorts.” Chase said, with double meaning in that.

Pat didn’t know if he belonged there, but he felt it was better than being left alone without Aaron. He didn’t want to be separated, he wanted to be apart of Aaron’s life, just the same way Aaron was of his.

“Oh, our ride’s here.” Chase looked to the side when a black SUV was parked. A boy, who didn’t look older than 18 stepped out of the driver's seat, and made his way towards them.

“This is Hadrian, he is my neighbor and he helps with me with driving me whenever he can.” Chase said, trying not to make his mouth move to the side too much.

“I’m also his nephew.” Hadrian spoke in a heavy Spanish accent. “My mother is his sister.” Hadrian turned back to face Chase. “Tio, que hago con las cosas atrás de las sellas?” There was no mistake that Pat heard the slight lisp when he spoke, and he wasn't sure if it was because of the dialect being different in terms of the Spanish Pat was used too, or because Hadrian naturally had a lisp.

“Me puedo sentar atrás con las cosas si quieren.” Pat replied before Chase had the chance to reply.

“Since when did you speak Spanish?” Aaron questioned with curiosity.

“My mom, she was from Mexico and spoke to me in Spanish. Only in Spanish.” Pat replied, hoping for no further questions about his mother.

As if Aaron understood, he teased, “I thought I knew everything about you Patrick.” Earning a smile and a shrug from Pat.

“Well, we can all learn more from each other when we get you boys settled in.” Chase spoke staring at the dark clouds that were nearing in over them. “The weather did say it will rain today, I hope not.”

Pat became excited with the thought of rain, a little hurt at the distaste Chase seemed to harbor with rain, but overall happy to be there with Aaron.

When they all arrived at Chase’s house, more like mansion, Hadrian helped Chase get out of the SUV while Mr. Peters and the boys brought in their luggage.

When Chase showed the boys their rooms with their belongings already there, Pat couldn’t help but feel upset that Aaron and him would no longer share a room anymore. He looked at Aaron who showed neither satisfactory or sadness over this outcome, he just stood there, looked at Pat and smiled softly.

“Patrick,” Aaron called out to Pat before he left to join the men in the sitting room, “ this might sound childish but,” he breathed in, “ I am no longer used to sleeping alone. Would it be okay if sometimes I just slept over in your room?” Pat’s heart fluttered, tightening his throat not allowing him to say anything, so he nodded instead.

“Pat, mi tío quiero saber si tienen hambre.” Hadrian spoke to Pat, ignoring the glares from Aaron.

“I am not all that hungry,” Aaron had a hand clasped on Pat’s shoulder, “ and you Pat?”

Pat shook his head in agreement, “No thank you, I'm fine.” Pat smiled apologetically.

“Very well then." Hadrian left to join the men in the sitting room when Pat and Aaron followed behind him.

"Boys!" Chase called out to the boys, motioning for them to sit next to him on the couch. 

"Do you want to talk about what you'll do here Aaron?" _'I don't think I should be here. Do I need to be here?'_ Pat felt like maybe he shouldn't be there to hear this conversation. 

"Pat," Hadrian spoke up, "why don't I help you unpack?" As if to answer Pat's question.

"Do you mind if I speak in English?" Hadrian sheepishly asked, as he upzipped Pat's luggage. 

"No, no at all, though I should be asking you that." 

"It's just that my English is still not good, so I want to practice." Hadrian took out the folded clothes and set them on Pat's bed.

"Oh, that's fine. I can put my clothes away." Pat felt bad that Hadrian was folding his clothes.

"Only if I can help," Hadrian struggled to find the right word, "organize it?"

"Sure." Pat smiled softly, taken back by Hadrian's kindness. He took a long good look at him. He saw that Hadrian has brown hair that curled around his face, landing on his shoulder until he tied it into a ponytail. Hadrian didn't look entirely intimidating, but he was someone Pat never really seeing himself talking freely to someone like Hadrian.

" _So, I assume you both are not related._ " Hadrian asked in Spanish rather than in English, in a comfortable way that made it seem like he was comfortable enough to speak freely without thinking about translating it.

" _No, he isn't related to me in anyway other than friendship, if that counts_." Pat jokingly replied in Spanish, earning a smile chuckle. 

"Do you mind if I play music?" Hadrian asked in English this time. Pat shook his no, not minding. When Hadrian turned on his phone, scrolling through his playlist, Pat heard a song he thought he would never hear again. 

_"_ _He intentado casi todo para convencerte,"_ And without knowing it, he started to sing along to the song with Hadrian as they finished setting up his room until they finished, going through many old songs that made Pat feel nostalgic. 

"I am surprised that you know these songs." Hadrian mused. 

"When I was younger, way younger." 

"So, what happened to your mother?" Hadrian asked, making Pat freeze in his tracks. 

"Well, th-" 

"Patrick." Aaron leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, making Pat feel relieved with the interruption, "Can you help me with something?" 

"Yeah. By Hadrian." Pat scurried to be with Aaron, sending him so many silent 'Thank you's'. 

 

The boys were in Aaron's room helping Aaron unpack.

"What did you two talk about?" Aaron unzipped his luggage. 

"Nothing much, mainly about you. And you?"

"The same." Aaron gave Pat a look of  _'Let's talk about something else.'_

The silence of unpacking and hanging up clothes seemed to become suffocating.

“Patrick?” Aaron laid down on his bed as he watched Pat fold Aaron’s shirts.

“Yeah?” Pat kept folding and then organizing the piles of shirts like he was used to.

“Do you miss the boarding school?” Pat put Aaron’s clothes on the drawer for Aaron to put away and then laid down next to him, facing him from the side.

He thought of the way he felt back there, all the gossip from the other boys.

_“No,”_ He said staring at Aaron.

_“I don’t either,”_ he replied, pulling the comforter over both of the boys, _“I thought I might, but I don’t.”_ Aaron reached over Pat to turn off the light. Pat smiled at Aaron that night, talking about all the many things they can learn, and all the things they will do in Spain. Aaron wanted to run for track and do orchestra, and so much, whereas Pat didn't know yet what he wanted to do. 

"Do you think you'll miss your dad a lot?" 

"Not as much as I'd miss my best friend." Aaron smiled at Pat, giving away his smile of gold, with his eyes so green.

_The days turned, and the months, and two years passed._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys haven't already guessed:  
> Chase- Chiron  
> Hadrian- Hector  
> They reason they are related is because I didn't want to entirely follow the book, which I am sure I haven't all the way, but also because I wanted to really show the way reincarnation took place in this story. 
> 
> Tio, que hago con las cosas atrás de las sellas? - Uncle, what do I do with the things behind the seats?  
> Me puedo sentar atrás con las cosas si quieren. - I can sit behind the things if you guys want.  
> Pat, mi tío quiero saber si tienen hambre. - Pat, my uncle wants to know if you guys are hungry?
> 
> The song used when the Pat and Hadrian are unpacking, "Dejaría Todo" by Chayanne.
> 
> -Aro

**Author's Note:**

> The story will follow some of the plot from the wonderful book, by Madeline Miller. 
> 
> -Aro


End file.
